More detail on this person: Brown, George A.
Our beloved father, grandfather and family patriarch, George A. Brown, of Chandler, passed
peacefully from this earth on Saturday, September 20, 2014 in his home. Colonel Brown was born
March 23, 1932, the second son of Gilbert and Rose (Palmisano) Brown. The son of a police officer,
raised and educated in Champaign, IL, he graduated from Champaign Central High School, Class of
1950. He attended the University of Illinois on a football scholarship, where he subsequently joined
ROTC and became the Commandant of over 2,000 Pershing Rifles members. While there, he met and
married his wife and sweetheart Marlyn (Ebert) Brown (of Valmeyer, Il.). Upon graduation, he was
commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.
The "Colonel" had a long and distinguished thirty year active duty career in the U.S. Army. He
served two tours in the Vietnam War with combat missions. He was a Master Army Aviator, and a
command pilot of the twin engine Caribou aircraft and the UH-1 helicopter, two of the many aircraft
he was qualified to fly. His many contributions to the armed services also included Commander, 42nd
Transportation Battalion, Ft. Meade, MD, and Brigade Commander of the 37th
Transportation Group, Kaiserslautern, Germany. He was a graduate of both the Air War College and the
Army War College. His many medals included two Legions of Merit and three Bronze Stars. After
enjoying 30 years of travel and military life together, he and his wife retired in Chandler, AZ.
There he served in several volunteer positions including six years on the City of Chandler Airport
Commission during important airport expansion years and several years as the president of the
Andersen Springs Community Association. God and Country were his guideposts, with his life's
passions being his family, flying, woodworking and storytelling! He was known for his wisdom,
strength, generosity, and love. He was predeceased by his loving wife of 49 years. Their marriage
resulted in four children who have all survived him, including Rebecca (Brown) Groves and husband
John of Chandler, AZ; Sheryl Brown Ellenberger and husband Rick of Champaign, IL; Clayton Brown and
wife Desiree (Rigabar) of Alexandria, VA; and Kimberly (Brown) Burch and husband Todd of Hoopeston,
IL. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and brothers Brigadier
General (Retired) Stanford Brown of Riverside, CA and Thomas Brown of Bloomington, IN. Visitation
will be held on Friday, September 26, 2014 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Queen of Heaven Catholic
Mortuary, 1562 E. Baseline Rd., Mesa, AZ with Mass of Christian Burial to be at St. Andrew the
Apostle Catholic Church 3450 W. Ray Rd., Chandler, AZ 85226 at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September
27, 2014. Interment will follow at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Mesa, AZ. Our father will
always and forever be the Wind Beneath our Wings. Memories and condolences may be made by
visiting the online obituary guest book at www.obits.azcentral.com. Arrangements entrusted to Queen
of Heaven Catholic Mortuary, Mesa, AZ.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 08/31/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association